


Purple

by megastarstrike



Series: Super Momota Bros [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Brotherhood, Fluff, Gen, kaito and kokichi are brothers, maki and shuuichi are siblings too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 21:42:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14173995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megastarstrike/pseuds/megastarstrike
Summary: Hair color was not a huge factor in Kaito's life or identity. He had chosen to spike it up at one point, but he was generally content with having brown hair like most of the world's population.Kokichi, however, thought differently.





	Purple

**Author's Note:**

> so this is based off this twitter picture i cant find but it had this brother and sister with purple hair? idk man but this was supposed to be like 600 words but nope. 3k. lord strike me down
> 
> special thanks to Pastelbandana for listening to my screaming

It started with a relatively innocent question in the kitchen the morning before school started. The smell of near-burnt toast had filled the air from Kaito’s brother recently putting a slice of bread in the toaster, overpowering the scent of the lavender candle their mother had lit just a few minutes ago. Hints of spring, like the sun peeking over the horizon and tweets of birds that were both familiar and unfamiliar, were scattered in their surroundings.

“Hey, Mom, can I dye my hair purple?” his brother asked, not looking up from the grape jam he spread on a slice of toast.

Kaito glanced up from his bowl of cereal and blinked.  _ Kokichi with purple hair? I can kind of see it, I guess. _

Their mother’s response was immediate. “No.”

Predictably, Kokichi let out a whine and stomped his foot. “Aw, why not? You let stupid Kaito over there buy a ton of space merch last week.”

“Hey!” Kaito called, but the conversation had already taken a turn for the worst.

“It’s irresponsible to dye your hair this early into your life,” their mother said, setting the last dish into the cabinet. “Don’t you know what dying your hair can do to your life?”

“What life?” Kokichi snorted, “Brown is so  _ boring _ . It’s not like it’s permanent either. It starts going away in six weeks.”

“Don’t lie to your mother.”

The smile fell off Kokichi’s face. Incredulity flashed in his face before it settled into a blankness that sent shivers down Kaito’s spine. His words came out cold and harsh. “I’m not lying this time.”

Their mother turned around and stared him down.

Kokichi met her eyes with a glare.

Kaito’s gaze darted between the two, his skin prickling up from the intensity of their stares. 

Contrary to popular belief, Kaito Momota was not an idiot. He may not have had as high of a skill in logic as his brother or talent in forensic science like his best friend, but he’s spent enough time around his family to know neither of the two was the type to back down, and he had walked into the wrong conversation at the wrong time.

Finally, their mother broke the silence. “If you want to dye your hair purple, you need someone to do it with.”

Kokichi didn’t bother to try hiding the way his lips tugged into a snarl. “You know I don’t—”

“Have friends who would do that for you? Go make some.”

The utter betrayal in Kokichi’s eyes made Kaito flinch. “You know what? Fine! I’ll get someone to go with me! I'll get  _ five _ people to go with me! Just wait and see!” He stormed to his room, the bread left forgotten.

Their mother shook her head with a sigh. “That boy, I swear…”

_ You know he’s sensitive about that. You didn’t have to be such an asshole about it. _

But his thoughts were left unsaid. Kaito finished the rest of his cereal quickly and left before his mother could rip into him next. 

 

*

 

Gentle spring breezes swept past the trees lining the path to school, prompting a few of the pink leaves and barely opened buds to fall onto the sidewalk. Several students were scattered around the area leading to the school in small groups of three or four. A few fluffy white clouds hung in the sky in a way that seemed to mock both of them.

Kaito cleared his throat. “You, uh… You good from this morning?”

“I’m hungry,” Kokichi whined. “I’m a growing boy, you know. I have to eat.”

“It’s your fault for leaving your toast behind.”

Kokichi pouted and turned his nose up. “If you were really a good brother, you would buy me Panta from the vending machines.”

“How would a drink help your hunger?”

“How would it not?”

The two stared each other down before Kaito sighed and surrendered, entering the school before sliding four coins into a vending machine and picking up a granola bar. He handed it to Kokichi. “Here, you ungrateful brat. Don’t you have more money than me?”

“That’s because I don’t waste it all on space merch,” Kokichi said, unwrapping the granola bar and taking a bite out of it. 

“Hey! That was fifty dollars well spent.”

“Like that stupid jacket you got? Yeah, that’ll really impress your friends.”

Kaito opened his mouth to respond, only for it to fall shut when he caught sight of it hanging off his shoulders. Purple. “Say, ‘Kichi, you really wanted to dye your hair purple, didn’t you?”

“Nope, that was a lie! I just wanted to piss off Mom!”

“Why would you—wait. You’re lying about lying, aren’t you?”

“Ding ding! My beloved dumbass gets it right for once!” Kokichi took another bite out of the granola bar, his words coming out muffled. “Yeah, I wanted to dye my hair purple. I’m kind of pissed Mom pulled the friend thing on me.” He grinned. “Or maybe I was lying about that. You never know with a liar like me, Kai-chan.”

“Really? You’re lying to your older brother? Older brothers are supposed to protect their younger brothers, you know.”

“Yeah, you’re doing a  _ great _ job with that.”

Ouch.

“Yeah, well…” Kaito patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll get better sometime, man. I’ll see you after school.”

Kokichi stuck out his tongue but waved as he walked in the other direction down another hallway.

Kaito watched his figure slump and fade away before he headed to his own classes.

 

*

 

“How would my hair look if I dyed it purple?”

The question brought his lunch table to a stop, all three of Kaito’s friends staring at him with varying degrees of bewilderment.

Maki’s answer came immediately. “Stupid.”

“Hey!”

“I think…” Kaede leaned closer to him, squinting her eyes. “Since you bought that purple jacket and you have purple eyes anyway, I think it would suit you.”

“Were you thinking of dying your hair?” Shuuichi asked.

“Well…” Kaito glanced to his right, catching a glimpse of his brother mashing a cup of applesauce with more force than necessary. “Maybe.”

“Why are you asking us? I think Tsumugi or Angie would be better with colors than us.”

“I’m not fucking with ‘Kichi’s friends. Besides, they would tell him what I was trying to do immediately.”

Kaede tilted her head. “So… what  _ are _ you trying to do? Are you planning on getting back at your brother for something? I don’t think that’s a good—”

“Do it,” Maki said. She paused. “But if you want an actual answer to your first question, I guess you could pick a worse color.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Shuuichi’s lips. “Like hot pink?”

Maki turned to him, her eyes blazing. “Okay, listen, that was  _ middle school _ —”

Kaito tuned out the following argument, watching Shuuichi laugh while Maki made claims that no one would find his dead body. What would it have been like to have that kind of easy-going relationship with his sibling? What would it feel like to have a younger brother that actually trusted him?

He glanced back at Kokichi, only to see he had vanished.

It wasn’t about being a hero or a good older brother now. It was about being supportive for a loved one who had been there for all his life, and he’ll be damned if he wouldn’t take the opportunity to make someone happy.

 

*

 

Kaito’s phone vibrated in his pocket during a particularly dull lecture in history class. He took it out and glanced at the screen, frowning upon seeing Miu’s contact pop up on his screen.

**KM:** ugh what do you want?  
**MI:** wow i cant even text my lab partner? Fucking rude  
**KM:** idk if youve noticed but im in CLASS right now  
**MI:** when did _ you _ start paying attention in history? Youre in my class i can see you fucking around on your phone all the time

Kaito took a moment to glance back, narrowing his eyes at Miu, who was barely successful in holding back her laughter. He turned back to the front but kept his gaze on his phone screen.

**KM:** if i get in trouble im blaming you  
**MI:** lmao id like to see you try bitch  
**KM:** anyway what do you want

A pause.

**MI:** promise not to yell at me for this?  
**KM:** depends on what you say  
**MI:** well you know how i have classes with cuckichi?  
**KM:** dude youve gotta stop calling him that  
**KM:** but whats up with him  
**MI:** hes like… not as energetic as he usually is? Id say its a win but its fucking scary as shit when he doesnt smile

Kokichi wasn’t smiling? Ninety-nine percent of Kokichi’s facial expressions were of him smiling. To see him frowning or blank was a bad sign.

**KM:** you feel like dyeing your hair purple?  
**MI:** what the fuck dickface where did that question come from  
**KM:** just answer it  
**MI:** no im not ruining my beautiful blonde hair

Kaito shut off his phone and pocketed it just as the teacher turned around.

The teacher frowned and held out his hand. “Miss Iruma, give me your phone.”

Miu squawked but reluctantly stood up and handed her phone in. She smacked Kaito’s head while she walked back to her desk. “Thanks, bitch.”

Kaito only answered with a shrug.

 

*

 

The school day dragged on for much longer than Kaito would have liked. As soon as the bell announced the last minute of class, he checked his bag for his wallet before waiting for his brother outside the school’s entrance.

Kokichi skipped down the sidewalk with a lopsided grin. “Hey, Kai-chan! I heard you got that ugly bitch in trouble in history.”

“I guess, but she incriminated herself.” Kaito paused. “You’re not mad at me for that, are you?”

“Nope. Good job.” 

“You guys have the weirdest friendship, I swear.”

“I don’t need you of all people judging me, Mister I’m-friends-with-someone-who-makes-constant-death-threats.”

Kaito opened his mouth to defend his choice of friends but decided on a sigh. They would never get along with each other, no matter how much he wanted them to. “You do you. You wanna head out to the city with me before going home?”

Kokichi tilted his head. “Why? I have a ton of homework. If my grades slip, I’m blaming you.”

“My friends are in your classes, and I know for a fact they have more free time than they know what to do with. At least, before finals week, I guess. But that’s months away.” He stopped as he processed his words. “Wait, does that mean you’re coming with me?”

“Jeez, you’re so clingy, Kai-chan. It almost makes me wonder if you’re supposed to be the younger brother.”

His eye twitched. Why was he doing this for him again?

Kaito looked down at his brother, and his question was answered.

Because when he looked at the face that was so similar yet so different from his, he saw the face of the family member that had stuck by him for all his life. They had cooked (and burned) meals together, played together, learned how to ride a bike together, cried over their first bad grade together, learned how to shape who they were together. They had made it this far through life with each other, and Kaito sure as hell wasn’t about to let some hair get in the way of their brotherhood.

So Kaito huffed and grabbed Kokichi’s hand. “Shut up. Let’s just go.”

“Sure! Where are we going?”

The question made Kaito freeze in his tracks. He scrambled for a lie, mentally scolding himself for not thinking of one earlier. “Oh, uh… library?”

“Huh, that’s funny. I seem to recall the library being in the complete opposite direction of where we’re going.”

It was at this moment Kaito regretted every choice he had made in his life and regretted trying to lie to his lie detector of a brother. Still, Kaito made a choice, and he had to stick with it. “No, it’s this way. Come on.” He tugged Kokichi along the sidewalk.

A few minutes of walking down the street in silence, Kokichi stopped and turned to Kaito with a frown. “Kaito, what’s going on? You’ve been quiet all day. As much as everything you say is stupid, you’re never quiet.”

Fuck. He dropped the nickname.

Kaito turned away from him. “I’m fine, believe it or not. It was you that was pouting all day.”

“Yeah, but you saw what happened this morning. What’s going on with you?”

“It’s just…” Kaito sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I’ve just been thinking—”

“Wow! That’s a surprise! I’m sooo proud of you!”

“Fuck you.”

“Keep going.”

Kaito shook his head. “Alright, whatever. I’ve just been thinking of a lot lately. Nothing to be worried about, really.” Upon seeing Kokichi eye him suspiciously, he rolled his eyes. “Really. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this.”

Kokichi scanned him over once more before walking forward again. “Alright. You know who to talk to if you need help.”

“Thanks, Koki—”

“Not me, moron.”

“Why are you like this?”

Kokichi only responded with another shit-eating grin before pulling him by the sleeve. “Come on, slowpoke! Aren’t you the one inviting me out on an adventure?”

“I’d hardly call it an adventure,” Kaito mumbled.

“What, space is the ultimate adventure?”

Kaito opened his mouth to refute, only to realize that was what he would have answered if Kokichi hadn’t guessed it. He walked faster in an effort to hide his embarrassment with Kokichi’s laughter following him. “We’re here, asshole.”

“Wait for me! You tall people walk too fast.”

Kaito pulled Kokichi into the shop before Kokichi could read the sign, but the interior gave him away immediately. Two long couches were nestled in one corner of the building, separated by a table with stacks of magazines on top of it. The jazz music playing over the speakers was just barely audible above the distant sound of razors and whir of hair blowers. The wooden floorboards were messy with piles of hair before a worker swept them away.

“Kai-chan,” Kokichi said, breathless. His eyes were wide as he took in their surroundings. “Are you really going against Mom right now? Weren’t you supposed to be the good kid?”

Kaito shook his head. “I’m not disobeying her. She said dyeing your hair was okay if you got someone to go with you, right?”

Kokichi looked around before his gaze landed on Kaito. “If you’re joking about this, I suggest you stop. There’s only room for one liar in this house.”

“You know better than anyone else I’m not lying right now.” Kaito turned to an employee who had approached them. “Can we dye our hair purple?”

The employee nodded and brought out a set of different shades of purple for them to pick. The laminated paper shined under the fluorescent lights of the shop as she explained the dyeing procedure.

Kokichi took one look at the options and pointed at a dark purple. “I guess I’ll take this one.” The bright smile on his face told Kaito he wasn’t as reluctant as he sounded.

Kaito couldn’t help but smile as well as he pointed at a lighter color.

 

*

 

“You like your new hair, ‘Kichi?”

Kokichi paused and looked up from his phone screen, his face glowing. “Nope! I absolutely hate purple.”

“You liar,” Kaito said, “I spent two hundred dollars on this, you know.”

“Yeah. You make terrible financial decisions. Lucky for you, I paid for my own dye, so you technically only spent one hundred.”

“You did what?”

Kokichi tilted his head. “I paid for my own dye. Spending fifty dollars on space merch is one thing, but I don’t need you spending a hundred dollars on me. Like I said, terrible financial decisions.”

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t the smartest idea, but…” Kaito grinned and patted his head. “You’re happy like this, right? If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Kokichi stopped, a flash of surprise crossing his face. He forced a grimace on his face, though a smile still breached his face. “Ew! You’re such a sap, Kai-chan!”

Kaito laughed and ruffled his hair. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You ready to see Mom’s reaction?”

“She’s actually going to disown us.” Nevertheless, Kokichi walked through the door to their house with a bright grin. “Hi, Mom!”

Their mother’s footsteps padded down the hall from the living room. “Welcome back, Kokichi. Did you bring Kaito with—” She cut herself off with a scream. “Kokichi! I told you not to dye your hair!”

Kokichi raised a finger in protest. “No, you told me I could only do it if I got someone to go with me. I got someone to go with me.”

Their mother opened her mouth to refute but settled with a sigh. “Kaito, why would you encourage this?”

“He’s happy, and that’s enough,” Kaito said. 

“... You know what, it’s my fault for leaving that loophole, but I’m gonna just… go to sleep,” their mother said. She sighed and walked out of the room.

Kokichi waited for the door to their parents’ room to click shut before turning to Kaito with a softer smile. “Thanks, Kai-chan. Really. It means a lot.”

The genuineness behind it was enough to make a surge of warmth flood Kaito’s heart. He scratched the back of his head. “It’s nothing. It’s just what a big brother needs to do.”

“I can’t believe you actually found that loophole. That’s like, one of three smart things you’ve done in your life.”

The previous affection bundled in his heart was overridden by irritation. “The one time I’m nice to you, you throw sass back at me?”

“Yeah. Oh, and you might want to watch out tomorrow at the entrance of the school. I’m setting something up for Kiiboy and Miu.” He strolled down the hallway and right before he turned, he faced him again. “I’m not sure even you’re stupid enough to walk into a trap after I told you about it, but I never know with someone like you. Don’t walk into it.” He disappeared behind the corner before Kaito could respond.

Anger surged through Kaito’s veins at the insult, but it quickly died down when he processed the rest of his words. 

_ Wait… Was he looking out for me? _

Kaito blinked as a smile made its way to his lips. He returned to his room for the night, only to see a colored picture of a long-overdone meme taped to his lamp with Kokichi’s signature written on it in purple glitter gel pen.

He sighed and moved the picture to his bulletin board of other memes Kokichi had stuck randomly in his room.

It was a bit bothersome, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> ~~my hair is brown lmao~~
> 
>  
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> 
> thanks for reading! let me know if you have any questions


End file.
